Lost Love
by MysteryWriter36
Summary: After speaking with a street performer/waitress, Count Bleck and the others invite a young woman to live at Castle Bleck. She claims to have boring past not worth mentioning. But after a little digging, it is discovered that her past is full of pain and s
1. Prologue

**PS. I would've put other characters on the list under the summary, but I didn't want to reveal or foreshadow anything before ya read the story. Anyways, enjoy! Also, this is exclusively set in the world of Super Paper Mario.**

* * *

"A-are you ok?" asked a young woman. "Ugh..." groaned the fallen male. His eyes slowly fluttered open to see a slightly tan-skinned female with long, wavy hair and radioactive green eyes. Her expression was one of concern as she looked into his bright yellow eyes. She sat next to him, on his left, her right hand under his head and her left hand brushing the dirt and dust from his face. She helped him slowly sit up. "W-what happened? Where am I?" He then looked at the girl again. "And who are you?" The girl seemed relieved. "Oh good, I thought you were dead or something. Anyways, to answer your questions in order: You took quite a fall and now you're at the bottom of a slightly high cliff. And my name is Violet, which refers to my hair of course. But, _I'm_ not important right now, you are. Now tell me, does it feel like you have any broken bones?" She continued to ask him several questions, making sure he was alright. She also used magic to conjure up an x-ray. He had two broken ribs, a fractured wrist, and a broken leg. A tear rolled down Violet's cheek as she saw how badly he was hurt. He was also covered with numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Most of the scrapes and cuts were bleeding, though, not severely. "Well, I can either heal your numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises, as well as both ribs or your fractured wrist. Or I could heal just your wrist and leg. Or I can heal both ribs and your wrist. Which would you rather have happen?" she asked. "Well, my minor injuries are of no problem, but as of my broken bones, I'd say,..." He thought for a moment. "Both my ribs and my fractured wrist." he answered. "Ok, hold on. This won't hurt, but it might take a while." Violet told him. She placed one hand on his chest and the other, gently, around his fractured wrist. Even though she didn't put too much pressure on his wrist or chest, he still grimaced in pain. Violet closed her eyes as a dim light eminated from her hands. He could feel the pain in chest and on his wrist fade away until there wasn't any. She opened her eyes and asked, "Do you feel anymore pain in you wrist or chest?" He then replied, "Well, I know my ribs aren't broken anymore, but I can't tell if my wrist is ok because you're still holding it." Violet bushed as she quickly removed her hands from his wrist and chest. "Sorry. Anyways, you know my name, so tell me yours." As he tested his wrist, he gave his answer, "I'm Dontellano. I'm a..." Dontellano paused, not wanting to finish his sentence. "You're a what?" Violet asked. Dontellano said in a whisper voice, "I'm a member of the Darkness Tribe." Violet looked as if she didn't believe him. "But the people of the Darkness Tribe are cruel, and evil, and, um, they don't have skin that's pale. At least, I've never been told that they do. Heck, far as I know they have dark blue skin, black hair, and their eyes can be red, orange, or yellow. Are you sure you didn't just hit your head hard and now you think that?" Dontellano shook his head. "I'm sure. I know the pale skin is strange for a member of the Darkness Tribe. In fact, some thought I was a fluke, and that I wasn't even a member of the tribe. But after a few tests, it was concluded that I was the child of two tribe members, and my pale skin was just a rare occurance." Violet's smile widened. "People said the same thing about my eyes. They said it was like my irises were made of radioactive ooze. I told those people they were crazy, which they were." Violet said. Dontellano and Violet continued to talk for the next couple of hours. Dontellano found himself quite taken with Violet's personality.

* * *

There she was, living what she would say was the best moment of her life. Violet was pinned against a tree, kissing Dontellano, her finger twirling a lock of his hair that matched her hair color. She had gotten a lock of her hair dyed to match the color of his hair too. She had known him for a few months, and she had just learned that he loved her. She loved him too. She had just carved into the tree she had her back to: V+D 4-Ever. And it was surrounded by a heart with an arrow through it. How could the day get any better? They pulled apart, and Violet rested the side of her head on his chest, beaming. Dontellano was smiling too, and both of them had their eyes closed. Violet's eyes shot open as she remembered something. "Dontellano, there's something you must know. Last night, at the dinner party my mother spoke of-" Dontellano placed a finger over her lips to silence her. "Don't worry, I'm sure it was nothing bad." he assured Violet. "No, it was bad. He spoke of a plan to end the Darkness Tribe; a plan to kill each and every one of its members." said Violet, fear in her voice. A serious look appeared on Dontellano's face, and a tear rolled down Violet's cheek. "Shhh, don't worry, it's ok." he cooed as he wiped the tear away. He pulled her in for hug, trying to console her. Then they heard a strange sound as something rushed past their ears. They opened their eyes to see an arrow imbedded in the tree about two inches from Violet's face. Violet turned pale, daring to look over Dontellano's shoulder. She was frightened by what she saw. There was a tall man with dark blue skin and black hair. His red eyes were burning with fury. He held a bow in his hand with a quiver of arrows over his shoulder. More men appeared behind him. A few dozen, at least. Then she heard leaves and twigs being crushed and snapped behind her. She saw many human and Light Tribe men. About the same number as the Darkness Tribe. Violet shivered in fear. Dontellano held her close, determined not to let anyone hurt her. The Light Tribe and the humans charged towards the Darkness Tribe. During the fight, Dontellano and Violet ran until they were at a cliff. They couldn't jump because if they did, they would die. They were cornered by humans and members of the Light Tribe. A woman with tan skin and long honey-colored hair stepped forward. "Violet, get away from that...that monster!" she ordered. "No mother! I...I...I love him! And I won't leave him!" Violet yelled at her mother. A look of digust crossed her mother's face. "So be it. Grab them and separate them!" she ordered. "No!" cried Violet. They were taken to the a human camp where, for being near her daughter, Violet's mother had Dontellano punished punished publicly. But as the whip went to hit his back once more, Violet ran through the crowd and stood in the way. The whip hit her face, leaving a deep, burning cut. A collective gasp arose from the crowd as they backed a few feet away. Violet held one hand on the right side of her face. Even though it hurt, she spoke, "You and my mother have gone out your way to punish him to such severity, and all because we are in love! Where has your sanity and humanity gone!? You people are nothing but hateful, heartless, evil beings. Especially you two!" Violet pointed to the lasher and her mother. She put her hands down and turned on her heel, then walked to Dontellano. "Violet, get away from that monster." her mother ordered. Violet acted as if she didn't hear her mom. She knelt down next to her beloved and removed a blanket that was tied around her waist. "Violet, get away from that Monster!" her mother yelled loudly. Violet placed the blanket over Dontellano's back muttering "_Shut up, mother!_"under her breath. She grabbed a knife and cut the rope tying Dontellano to the post. She helped Dontellano up, then gently wrapped her arms around him, tears streaming down her cheeks like two miniature rivers. "Violet! I won't tell you again! Get away from that MONSTER!" Violet's eyes burned with pain and fury. She turned and glared at her mother and yelled, "Shut up mother! He's not a monster! YOU ARE!" Just then, members of the Darkness Tribe ran up. The tallest of them grabbed Violet's mom by her neck and demanded to know where Dontellano was. She pointed in Violet's direction, and the man dropped her. He walked over to Dontellano and Violet, Dontellano stepping protectively in front of Violet. The man raised an eyebrow. "Why do you insist upon protecting this girl?" asked the man, in deep voice. "Because I love her." Dontellano answered. "Well then, come along, both of you."

* * *

"Happy 21st birthday!" Dontellano's father said to him. "It would be happier if Violet were here? Do you know where she is?" Dontellano's father grinned maliciously. "I got rid of that vixen. And now I will wipe your memory of every moment she was there, from the day you two met, up to now." Dontellano jumped up. "What?! No!" But it was too late. Men had grabbed his arms and legs, holding him down. "Now, now, don't squirm. In a minute, you won't even remember her." Little did he know, Dontellano had anticipated this. Just a day earlier, he had given Violet a bottle. One drink of the potion inside would restore his memory. But having his memory erased of Violet would mean she would have to find him. And that wouldn't be easy. But that day, she swore to search as long as she had to, to find him, to restore his memory, and never leave his side again. She also swore she wouldn't love anyone else. No one but Dontellano.

* * *

**I have no words. And I wrote this for goodness sake! *Shrugs and leaves to go watch tv and drink soda***


	2. A New Friend & Resident At Castle Bleck

"So, um, Count. The schedule says that after Mimi's _shopping spree_ we all break for coffee and whatever else at the café." informed Nastasia. "Nassy, you said shopping spree as if it were a bad thing." said Mimi, pulling along her numerous shopping bags full of clothes. O'chunks was trying not to step on the bags because he knew if he did, Mimi would have his head for it. Dimentio simply floated in the air. It had been discovered that he did not die after being defeated, and he asked if Bleck &amp; Tippi (Blumiere &amp; Timpani), who had also been found recently, would allow him to stay with them all. So they were all sort of like a family. Mr. L would've been there, but he was at the castle working on Brobot. Dimentio would have released him, allowing him to turn back into Luigi, but instead he split Luigi's two personalities into two people. Allowing for there to be a Luigi and a Mr. L. Lady Timpani, who was now a human, walked next to Lord Blumiere, and Nastasia stayed at the front of the group. But as they rounded the corner they all heard singing and spotted a young woman playing a guitar. She was surrounded by a small crowd of people listening to her. She looked like she was in her mid 20's, with purple hair and green eyes. She wore a purple dress that closely matched her hair, and some black was on the dress. She also wore opaque black tights, and a pair of black boots. Her eyes were strange shade of green, and her hair was waist length with a streak of black through it. She strummed her guitar as she played the instrumental to her song. She was in about the middle of the song, singing:

My heart's been broken  
So many times before  
Promises forgotten  
Left shattered on the floor  
I have seen the same damn thing  
Countless times, it's getting old  
All your friends, they build you up  
And tear you down, it feels so cold  
But that's okay  
I'll be okay

Don't share your blessings  
My love, it can't be bought  
Don't give me kindness  
It's all a cheap façade.  
Don't tell me it'll be perfect  
I'm done with that you see  
I'm over relationships  
And I need nobody else  
I'm fine with no one else

Their kind words, confusing  
Their love is infusing  
I won't get hurt again  
I can't get hurt again

My heart is crying  
Neglected and confused  
These lonely days now  
I'll Leave them all behind  
Leave them all behind

I'm trusting you...

* * *

The entire crowd clapped. Even Dimentio, who said, "Bravo, bravo, not bad for a girl with nothing but an acoustic guitar and her voice." Everyone turned to look at Dimentio, but just shrugged and said, "What?" The crowd dispersed except for Mimi, Nastasia, O'chunks, Dimentio, Lady Timpani, and Lord Blumiere. The street performer smiled. "Thank-you Dimentio." She took a small bow. "Well, seems like Dimmy's famous." Mimi complained. "I told you never to call me that!" Dimentio told Mimi. "He's not the only one I know out of your group. I know you Mimi, and Nastasia, and O'chunks. And last but certainly not least, Count Bleck and Tippi. Also known as Lord Blumiere and Lady Timpani." The girl bowed to them. "You seem to have quite the knowledge of our group." observed Timpani. "Definately. I even know how Dimentio prefers to address himself." Dimentio raised an eyebrow. The girl cleared her throat and, in her most dramatic performance voice, said, "Master of dimensions, pleaser of crowds, I am... Dimentio!" Everyone laughed. Dimentio said, "Not bad, not bad. I'm surprised you even know that." The girl began to remove the guitar strap from around her neck. "Well, it's time for me to go to work. I work at the café down the street." She picked up the hat she had set out and pocketed the money. She stuffed the hat into a rolling suitcase with her guitar. They began walking down the street. "It just so happens that's where we're headed as well." said Timpani. "Cool." replied the girl. "Ya know what, I'm being impolite. I haven't even properly introduced myself. I'm Vanessa. Of course you already know I'm a street performer and that I work down here, so there really isn't anything else to tell, I guess."

* * *

Once they got there, Vanessa went behind the counter and sat her case down. Then she started taking orders. The others sat down at a table. She spent a lot of time talking with them since the café wasn't too busy, and they didn't seem in any hurry to leave. "Well, it's 4:30, my shift is over. I'll se you all later." said Vanessa. "So, what, are you going back to the street corner?" asked Mimi. "Yeah. I play until about 6:30, then I go to my apartment. I share it with a... a friend of mine." They all seemed surprised, and even a little appauled. "You stay with a friend of yours?" Timpani asked. "Yeah, every night. I sleep on the couch, he sleeps in the bed, sometimes we switch around to be fair to each other. But you wouldn't believe what he said to me the other night." Vanessa shivered. "He came up behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist, and whispered into my ear: Ya know, Vanessa, this apartment is soundproof. Ever since, he continued to act normal, but I've been scared out of my mind. I just...whatever, I'll be ok. Anyways, see ya." Vanessa got up and walked out the door. Nastasia looked at Bleck. "Um, sir. Should we invite her to stay at the castle?" she asked. "Yes Nastasia. Please go tell her now." he ordered. Nastasia jumped out of her chair and walked out the door. Once she found Vanessa, she respectfully waited until she finished her song, then invited her to stay at the castle. By then, the others had paid for lunch and were standing behind Nastasia. "Well, I wouldn't want to intrude." she said. "Not at all, Miss Vanessa. There is plenty of room. And we would love to have you stay at Castle Bleck." Count Bleck told Vanessa. "Well, as long as none of you object, sure. I'd love to. Thank-you for your most generous offer." The Count smiled widely. "Good. Just to make sure you find the castle, I will leave someone here with you." The Count looked at his minions and wife, thinking about whether or not they had something to do. Nastasia, Timpani, and himself had planned on doing some paperwork. O'chunks had chores, and Mimi had to put all her clothes away. And that would definantely take a long time. There was only one person left. The Count sighed. "Unfortunately, I have to leave you with...Dimentio." Dimentio grinned, and for a moment the grin looked malicious. "Well, since I'll be here, I guess I should tell her about the castle." said the jester as he walked to the front of the group. He locked eyes with Vanessa, he and the others expecting her eyes or expression to show some fear. But she just shrugged. "Ok, good. I guess I'll see the rest of ya at the castle." Dimentio frowned, thinking, "Nothing. Not even the slightest hint of fear... I like this girl. She could be quite the friend. I guess I won't be too mean to her. Or maybe I will." Everyone else left, leaving Dimentio and Vanessa alone on the street corner. Vanessa sat down cross-legged, and began struming at her guitar. She looked over at Dimentio, who was watching her as she played her guitar. She closed her eyes and started singing as people came around the corner.

* * *

She sang several songs, and at 6:00, the sun was getting closer to the horizon, and Vanessa had just finished a song. "Well, it's probably about time to start heading towards the castle." she said. She once again picked up her hat, but she stopped when she saw a few coins get tossed in. She looked up and saw Dimentio smiling. "You're a good singer. You have talent." Vanessa smiled back. She quickly pocketed the money, put her hat and guitar in her case, then replied, "Thanks, Dimmy" Dimentio frowned as Vanessa giggled, finding it funny. "Ugh, why do people insist upon calling me that?!" Vanessa shrugged and followed Dimentio to the castle, where she was greeted warmly by the others. The Count asked Dimentio to show Vanessa to her room as well. "Well, you may pick any bedroom down this hallway, except for Mimi's and Nastasia's. Each room that is occupied has it's occupants name on the door." Vanessa looked down the hall to see where Nastasia's and Mimi's rooms were. She then picked the room closest to the opening of the hallway on the left side. Dimentio snapped his fingers and her name appeared on the door. Vanessa snapped her fingers and the style her name was in changed from regular print to pretty, neat cursive in purple, surrounded by black musical notes. "I didn't know you could do magic." Dimentio said. "Only a small bit. I learned from...a friend. A different friend, not the one in the apartment." she replied. Dimentio raised and eyebrow. "A friend, huh? Well, dinner is in a few minutes. Ciao." Dimentio snapped his fingers and vanished. Vanessa walked into her room and flopped down onto her bed. She closed her eyes and rested. It was the first bed she had laid down on since she was about 20 years old. Now she was 25. She was happy to be here, even though she didn't personally know these people. After lieing there for ten minutes, she heard a knock on her door. She got up and opened it, seeing that it was Nastasia. "It's dinner time. Come on." Nastasia beckoned Vanessa to follow her. Dinner was great, and quite lively. Everyone truly seemed happy to have Vanessa there, even Dimentio. Though the others had probably told him to. "I can't tell you all how happy I am to be here." Vanessa said. "It was no problem at all, Vanessa." Timpani told her, a smile plastered across her face. "I propose a toast." Count Bleck said as he raised his glass. "To our new friend and resident. To Vanessa!" Everyone raised their glass and said, "Here, here!" After dinner, Vanessa walked to her room. "Good-night Mimi. Good-night Nastasia." she said, walking into her room. "Good-Night." Nastasia and Mimi replied. And with a comfy bed in a warm room, it would truly be a good night.

* * *

**THIS STORY IS NOW OFFICIALLY ON HIATUS. SORRY, I'M HAVING A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH WRITING, SO I'M GOING ON A WRITING HIATUS. I'LL GET BACK TO WRITING SOON THOUGH, AND IN THE MEANTIME, CHECK OUT MY OTHER STORIES AND GIVE ME YOUR OPINION. AND, THE SONG IS "Trusting You" BY Megaphoric, A YOUTUBER. THAT SONG DOES NOT BELONG TO ME.**

**~Ciao!**


	3. Who Done It? Part I

Vanessa walked down the dark path to Castle Bleck with her rolling suitcases behind her. She had a handle in each hand, the suitcases holding all of her belongings. She was officially moving into Castle Bleck and couldn't be happier. She let go of one suitcase to open one of the large, ominous doors. She walked in and closed the door behind her. As she turned back around, she felt someone grab her arm with one hand and cover her mouth with the other. The unknown person quickly pulled her into a nearby supply closet, shut the door, then let her go. The light came on, blinding her for a moment and revealing the face of Mr. L. "Excuse my language," Vanessa began, "but what the hell would make you think this damn idea was a good one?! And why hell am I in a damn supply closet with you?!" Mr. L tried to keep a straight expression on his face, but he couldn't help but let a mischieveous smile appear; a smile that made Vanessa uneasy. She raised an eyebrow and said, "If you plan on doing what I suspect, you won't live to see the light of day again. So please tell me it's not what I think and I don't have to murder you." Mr. L's smile only grew. "I don't think it's what you suspect. But, it's funny that you mentioned murder." he replied. Vanessa only seemed more confused, and even a bit scared. "Ok, so here's the jist; Dimentio and I are planning a very big prank tomorrow night and we want you to help us. But you can't tell anyone. Will you help us?" Mr. L explained. Vanessa smiled and nodded. "I'm in."

* * *

"Ok, they should all be here very soon. Most likely within the next five to ten minutes." Mr. L said. He was dressed in black pants, a black suit jacket, a green shirt, black shoes, a black tie with a backwards L on it, his mask, and the same hat he wore all the time sat atop his messy brown hair. Dimentio, who was walking beside him, wore his normal attire. "Great, it's all going as planned. Speaking of which, where's Vanessa?" Dimentio asked. "She's in the library pouring champane for the guests. And since Mimi is underage, she'll probably get fruit punch or something." Mr. L answered. He opened the door to the library and they saw a woman pouring champane. She wore a long, sleeveless purple dress that nearly reached the floor and had a slit that went up to her knee, a pair of black heels that had straps up to her ankles, and her purple hair was pulled back in a waist-length braid with a black streak through it. Behind his mask, Dimentio's jaw dropped, and so did Mr. L's. At the sound of the door closing, the woman picked up two glasses of champane and turned around. "Good evening Dimentio and Mr. L, how are the hosts of tonight's dinner doing?" Vanessa asked, her voice smooth as silk. She handed each of them a glass of champane. They'd both composed themselves, but hadn't replied, which caused Vanessa to ask, "What's wrong? Cat got you tongue?" They shook their heads and just stared at her. She rolled her eyes. "You two told me to dress nice, so I did. Don't act so surprised." she said. "We just didn't expect you to dress this nice. I must say, It certainly does suit you." Dimentio stated. Vanessa smiled. "Thank you, Dimentio. At least _someone_ has something to say." Mr. L just kept staring. Vanessa walked up and smacked him on the side of his head. "Sorry, I kinda zoned out. At first I was shocked by how you well you dressed, and then I spotted a whole section of books on mechanical engineering over there." he apologized, pointing to one of the book shelves. Vanessa only rolled her eyes again and went back to pouring champane. "You two might want to get to the foyer to greet the guests, they should be arriving any minute." she said. Mr. L and Dimentio left. Once they were far down the hallway, Mr. L asked, "So what'd ya think?" Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "About what?" he replied. "About Vanessa. I could see it in your eyes, man. You thought she was pretty." Mr. L clarified. "Pretty? Mr. L, there are many words to describe how she looked, and pretty is not one of them. She was beautiful, gorgeous, amazing, but not just pretty." Dimentio answered. "_Irresistable_?" Mr. L suggested, nudging him in the arm with his elbow and arching an eyebrow suggestively. Dimentio pushed Mr. L's arm away and pushed his hat over his face, causing him to run into the wall as they rounded the corner. "Not in that way, L." he replied.

* * *

They made it to the foyer and waited a few minutes before the other members of Castle Bleck arrived, as well as the heroes. "Everyone please go to the library and everything will be explained shortly." Dimentio told them. When everyone got to the library, Vanessa warmly greeted them and handed each of them a glass of champane, except for Mimi, who got soda. "So, Vanessa, I hear you're a new resident in Castle Bleck." Peach said. Vanessa nodded. "Yes, and I love it here already. I can't thank Lord Blumiere enough for allowing me to stay here." she replied. "But what about...the jester. Doesn't he scare you?" Peach asked. "Pssh, Dimentio? I've seen scarier." She looked down for a moment and muttered, "Much scarier than him." She rolled her shoulders and smiled again. "Bottom line, Dimentio doesn't scare me." Vanessa stated. "Oh I wouldn't be too sure about that." Dimentio whispered in her ear, causing her to jump. She turned to see said jester, floating upside down, right behind her. "Are you sure you aren't afraid of me?" he asked, his voice dangerously low, and his grin malicious. Blumiere stood up and was about to intervene, but Vanessa said, "You don't scare me Dimentio. You can startle me, but you can't scare me." Vanessa looked Dimentio in the eyes. Everyone in the room was staring at Vanessa, shock written all over their faces, except for Dimentio. Something about her fearlessness intrigued him. He wanted to know more about her past. But what Vanessa did next truly took the cake in shocking them all; Dimentio was now standing on the floor, his face very close to Vanessa's, still holding the stare, when she placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back. "Stay out of my personal space, please." she said, before turning to walk out of the room. "I'm going to check and see if Dyliss and Saffron are done cooking. Ciao!" she said before closing the library door behind her. Everyone sat or stood in pure shock. Even Dimentio couldn't believe what had just happened. Mr. L asked, "Great Grambi, did that just happen?" Everyone else nodded. Dimentio's fists were clenched by his side, and he seemed ready to explode. But he calmed down, took a few deep breaths, and said, "Who's ready for dinner?" Everyone agreed that they were hungry, and Dimentio and Mr. L led them to the dining room.

* * *

The table was already set, and Vanessa, Dyliss, and Saffron were walking out of the kitchen with plates of delicious smelling food. Everyone was seated, except for the chefs, who returned to the kitchen. As everyone began eating, they noticed the tension between Vanessa and Dimentio. "So, what's with the fancy dinner party?" Timpani inquired. "Wait, you don't know? But I thought this was you and your husband's idea." Peach replied. Timpani shook her head. Vanessa cleared her throat, getting everyone's attention. "Actually, tonight's dinner is being hosted by Dimentio and Mr. L. They thought we should all get together and make amends for what we've done, maybe even get to know each other." she explained. "Wait, weren't the hosts" Mr. L cut in, pointing at himself and Dimentio, "suppose to explain that?" Vanessa shrugged. "If you were, I beat you to it." she replied. "Anyways," Dimentio began, "as Vanessa said, Mr. L and I thought it would be a good idea to invite the heroes over so we could all make amends and talk things over. Afterwards, the heroes can go back home and we can go to bed." he said. Everyone continued to eat, and even made conversation. Suddenly, the lights turned off and a few screams rang out. The lights came on after nearly half a minute of screaming and panicking. "I'll go check on Dyliss and Saffron." Vanessa declared, running to the kitchen door. A moment later they heard Vanessa exclaim, "Oh my Grambi!" They all ran into the kitchen to see Vanessa, nearly crying, staring at the two dead bodies of Dyliss and Saffron lying the floor in a pool of blood, a knife in Saffron's chest. Vanessa backed away to the wall and sank to the floor, still staring in shock. Everyone let out gasps, and Mimi screamed a little. "They... they're dead." Peach choked out. "Not just dead," Dimentio said, walking forward to inspect the dead bodies, "They've been murdered. And that means there's a murderer in this castle." Dimentio gripped the handle of the knife and pulled it out of Saffron, which caused the others to cringe. "Apparently, someone came in here and stabbed them, then left them to die, leaving the blade in Saffron's chest." Dimentio observed, tossing the knife in the sink. "Come on, let's go back to the table." he told them. Everyone returned to their seats. "Ok, we need to split up-" but an angered Timpani interrupted the jester. "Split up?! Two people have been murdered and you want us to split up? Who's to say you aren't the killer?! You could be doing this so you can kill us off one by one!" Dimentio rolled his eyes. "There are a few things wrong with that. First of all, if I wanted you all dead I would've already accomplished the task." Dimentio paused for a moment as everyone just stared at him, a tensious silence setting over the room. He then continued, "And, wouldn't I have killed you all while the lights were out? Further more, if I wanted you all dead, then why would I help you all find the murderer so that you _don't _die?" he asked in a matter-of-fact tone. Timpani took a deep breath and sat back down. "Fair point, Dimentio." she said. "But who could it be if it's not you?" Every one's gaze moved to Vanessa. Noticing this, she held her hands up and said, "Woah, hold on a minute. You don't seriously think it's _me_, do you?" she asked. "Well you are the new girl around here." Mr. L pointed out. "Way to throw me under the bus, L!" she snapped at him. "Calm down and be quiet!" Dimentio demanded. Everyone immidiately went silent. "Now is not the time to jump to conclusions. That's only going to give the killer an advantage over us. We need to split up into pairs and search for evidence. Here's how you will split up. Blumiere and Timpani, Bowser and Peach, Mario and Luigi, Mimi and Nastasia, O'Chunks and Mr. L, and Vanessa and I. The first two groups will take the west wing of the castle, the next two groups will take the east wing, and the last two groups will stay here. Start on the first floor and make your way up. In about an hour, we'll meet up in the kitchen, where the murders first started. Let's go."

* * *

Blumiere, Timpani, Bowser, and Peach were searching the west wing, Mario, Luigi, Mimi, and Nastasia were searching the east wing, and O'Chunks, Mr. L, Vanessa, and Dimentio were searching the main area of the castle. An ear-piercing scream rang out causing everyone to run to the source. "What was that?!" exclaimed Bowser. Everyone was looking around the foyer until Timpani shrieked in terror. She pointed upward at the black crystal chandelier where Peach and Mimi had been hanged, their nooses connected to the chandelier. "Oh my Grambi!" Timpani cried. She began sobbing at the sight of the dead princess and shape-shifter. "But they were at opposite ends of the castle! How could the killer have gotten them both?!" Nastasia asked. "There's no telling," Dimentio answered grimly, "but now four people are dead. I'm guessing you all split up after you were assigned your section of the castle, didn't you? Whether or not you did, you shouldn't do it again. It will only help the killer. Let's get back to searching." Everyone split up once more.

* * *

**A/N: I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG, BUT THE NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD BE UP IN A COUPLE WEEKS! **


	4. Who Done It? Part II

Each group was searching in their respective area of the castle, having already met back up in the kitchen. But it had been a couple of hours, so they each split up to one person per floor again. But, as they all searched thouroughly, they heard a gunshot ring out. Then another. Everyone rushed to the foyer, sure as day that's where the shots were fired. As they looked around, everyone tried to not look up at the chadelier where Mimi and Peach where hanging. Mario was the first to notice that someone was missing from the party. "Where-a is Bowser?" he wondered aloud. Nastasia saw something land next to her foot. She kneeled down to examine it. It looked like blood. She dared look up. "I-I think I found your answer, Mario." she said shakily. All eyes fell on Nastasia, then followed her gaze and beheld the terrible sight above their heads. There, hanging from the chandelier, was not only Princess Peach and Mimi, but Dyliss, Saffron, and Bowser as well, two bullet wounds in his head. "It-a seems like the killer finds-a this funny!" said Luigi, enraged. "Yes, apparently he finds some sick pleasure in death." Blumiere observed. All eyes once again moved to Dimentio. He rolled his eyes and muttered, "Great Grambi, what is wrong with you all?" Everyone stood there for a moment, not saying a word. A _creak _broke through the silence. Everyone's heads snapped up to look at the chandelier, where the chain holding it began to break. "Guys, get outta the way!" Mr. L cried. Everyone ran away as the chandelier chain broke and it came crashing down. Everyone fell to floor, trying to take cover. Dimentio and Vanessa were the first to regroup and try to get up. Mr. L was the third. Everyone else was still laying face-down, waiting until they were sure it was over. Mr. L looked up to see Dimentio walking over to Vanessa, blood trickling from a wound on his arm, possibly from a shard of glass from the chandelier, which was in a billion peices that were scattered all over the floor. Dimentio kneeled down in front of Vanessa, who was still sligtly disoriented, and helped her up. Without looking up, she allowed him to help her. But as soon as she stood, she fell foreward into Dimentio's arms with a sharp cry of pain. She locked eyes with Dimentio. Mr. L's eyes widened. "_Oh...my...Grambi..." _he thought. Vanessa looked down at her left leg, Dimentio following her gaze, to find a large shard of glass imbedded in her calf. She grimaced. "I have some gauze in my room." Vanessa said. "I can bandage up my leg and your arm." Dimentio shook his head. "No. You need to treat that wound properly." he protested. "I'll live, Dimentio. I can deal with it later." she argued. Dimentio sighed and reluctantly gave in. "Fine, but _Miss Independent _isn't walking to her room on her own." Despite his injured arm, Dimentio picked up Vanessa bridal style and began to carry her, everyone else following them and trying to stay together. They manuvered around the glass shards and mangled bodies, walked upstairs, and made it to Vanessa's room. Dimentio sat Vanessa on her bed and asked her what she wanted him to get. "Grab my black purse from under my bed, and get out the gauze and the duct tape. That should work well enough for now." she instructed. Mr. L raised and eyebrow. "You have gauze and duct tape in your purse?" he asked. Vanessa shrugged and replied, "Never hurts to be prepared," Dimentio handed Vanessa the gauze and the duct tape and she sat the tape next to her. She then gently grabbed Dimentio's arm and wrapped the gauze around it. She asked Mr.L to grab the scissors out of her purse and cut the gauze, then she asked him to hold it down while she got the duct tape. She unrolled it a little and tore off a piece with her teeth. She placed the duct tape on the gauze to hold it, then grimaced as a thought came to mind. "This is gonna hurt like hell." she muttered. She inhaled and exhaled deeply. "Ok, Dimentio," she grabbed his hands and placed them around her left ankle. Dimentio felt his face heat up slightly, then he mentally slapped himself. "Hold my ankle still while I pull this glass out. Mr. L, go get a wet washcloth; and hurry." she ordered. Mr. L raced to Vanessa's bathroom to get a washcloth. Vanessa took another deep breath and layed a finger on the glass. She felt Dimentio's grip on her ankle tighten. "_Here we go,_" she thought. Vanessa began to pull the glass out of her leg, her face contorting in pain as blood trickled from the wound. Mr. L had come back with the washcloth and was waiting patiently. She finally pulled the glass out, it having been imbedded about three inches in her leg. She grabbed the washcloth from Mr. L and held it against her calf, trying to refrain from crying in pain. It was then that she realized Dimentio's hands hadn't left her ankle. "Um, Dimentio," she whispered, gently moving her ankle. He removed his hands, but gave no reply. He grabbed the gauze and gently moved Vanessa's hand from her leg to check the wound. He then started to bandage it for her. Vanessa tore off another piece of duct tape after he was done, and placed it on the gauze. No one else had spoken, apparently silenced by the events that were transpiring before them. Dimentio stood and offered her his hand. She took it and he helped her to stand by placing an arm around her waist. She placed her arm around his shoulders. "Thank-you, Dimentio." she smiled. "You are welcome, Vanessa." he replied. "Ok, let's get back to searching." Dimentio told everyone. "When you hear the bell, we will meet up in the foyer."

* * *

Dimentio walked down the dark, quiet hallway. Mr. L was helping Vanessa, and they were on the opposite side of the castle. He had teleported here because he had something he wanted to search; Vanessa's room. He quietly opened the door to the woman's room and walked inside, closing the door behind him. Vanessa's room was clean, everything straightened. He could see that she had two suitcases under her bed. He figured if she was hiding anything, she'd have it hidden in one of them. He walked over to the bed and sat on the floor, then pulled out the suitcases, one grey and one black. He sat them on the bed and opened them. In the grey suitcase, there was nothing at all. Not a single thing. But in the black suitcase, he found a large album -no doubt full of photos- and a small glass bottle. It was about two or three inches tall and full of a dull blue-gray liquid. "_I wonder what this is..._" the jester thought as he carefully studied the small bottle. He was about to open it when he heard footsteps. It sounded like someone in high heels. He quickly placed the bottle and album back in the black suitcase, then placed the two suitcases back under the bed. He watched as a shadow passed in front of the door. He then saw the shadow pass again as the person returned to the door. He snapped his fingers and disappeared. As he reappeared, a thought came to mind. "_No one in that wing of the castle was wearing heels, though,_"

* * *

Everyone searched thoroughly, but they found not a single trace of evidence. Everyone's ears twitched slightly when the sound of a bell cut through the silence. Blumiere, Timpani, Luigi, Mario, Nastasia, O'Chunks, Mr. L, Dimentio, and Vanessa walked to the foyer. But as they all walked down the stairs, the lights suddenly flickered off. Another sound cut through the silence, then another; a gun shot and a scream. The lights quickly flickered back on as everyone rushed down the remaining flight of stairs from different ends of the castle. They all found, lying in a large pool of blood, the dead bodies of Nastasia and O'Chunks. O'Chunks lay face-down, a knife embedded in his back, and piercing his heart. Nastasia lay on her back with a single bullet wound to her head. Her eyes were glassy and wide open, and her mouth was locked in a silent scream of terror. "It seems this killer has killed again." Mr. L said, while supporting Vanessa. He had agreed to help her for a while after Dimentio had been for so long. "I think we should get our facts straight on this. Maybe after we do, we can find out who the killer is." Timpani suggested. "Well then, let's go back to where it started; the dining room. Everyone, follow me." Dimentio said. Everyone followed Dimentio as they made their way to the dining room. "Ok," Dimentio began, "We were all eating, when the lights suddenly when out. Most of you panicked, while the killer made their way to the kitchen, where they killed Saffron and Dyliss. Then the lights came back on, possibly because of the killer. We found the dead bodies of the chefs, then decided to split up, and began searching the castle, when we heard screaming. We made our way back to the foyer, where we found Mimi and Princess Peach hanging from the black crystal chandelier, having been strangled by the killer. We split up yet again until we heard two gunshots ring out. We all rushed to the foyer again to find the chefs, Peach, Mimi, and Bowser hanging from the chandelier. Due to the immense weight, the chain snapped and the chandelier came crashing down as we all ran for cover. Vanessa and I were the only ones to sustain any injuries, which were taken care of- for the time being, that is." he added, shooting a glance at Vanessa. "Afterwards, we split up for the third time, having agreed to meet back up in the foyer when the bell rung. The bell rang and we all made our way to the foyer, but the killer shut off the lights. Then they stabbed O'Chunks and shot Nastasia. The killer turned the lights back on and we all found Nastasia and O'Chunks dead." By now, they had made it back to the foyer as they followed Dimentio throughout his explaination. "But given we were all so close to the foyer, the killer wouldn't have had time to hid the gun, right? That means whoever has the gun is the killer." Vanessa pointed out. "True, my dear, true," Dimentio commented. He reached under his poncho and pulled out a black and silver pistol. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw him hold up the weapon for them all to see. He threw back his head and laughed psychoticly. "You all fell for it! I cannot believe you all truly believed I wasn't the killer!" he exclaimed, still laughing madly. He pointed his gun at Vanessa and Mr. L, but looked at the others. "You may be wondering why I left you four alive. Well, I do believe it's quite obvious, but I'll explain anyway. You four are the main reasons I don't have my perfect world. The reason I lost control of the Chaos Heart and was defeated by the Pure Hearts and the Heroes of the Prophecy. I want your deaths to be slow and painful. And once I'm done, I'll find another way to summon the Chaos Heart and the Void. Then, I'll finally have my perfect world!" He laughed madly again as he studied the horrified expressions on their faces. "Dimentio, we trusted you. We treated you like family." Blumiere told him, anger clear in his voice. "Well, that was your first mistake. Now," he said, turning to Mr. L and Vanessa, "to get rid of the witnesses." He pulled back on the trigger and Mr. L fell to the ground.

* * *

**A/N: OK, yet another chapter of Lost Love! I hope y'all are enjoying this! I've made a decision for the name of the next chapter (though it might change between now and when it's posted) &amp; have decided to call it "Poison &amp; Denial" That's all I have for my A/N today. Peace out!**


	5. Poison & Denial

Vanessa screamed, and nearly fell down. She leaned against the wall to keep from falling and stared at Dimentio, shocked. "You...You killed him! You said this was a prank! You said no one was really dead!" Dimentio's evil grin grew as he approached Vanessa, his gun still pointed at her. "Again with the trusting. You shouldn't trust people like me, Vanessa my dear. But you know what; I might just keep you alive." He leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "For my own purposes, of coarse. If you know what I mean," He backed away and turned to the group of four that stood before him. "I'm afraid only two will be making it out of here alive. But it won't be tonight. I'll take a few days to torture you four, then Vanessa and I will leave." Dimentio continued to list off different ways he might torture them as Vanessa looked fearfully at her current captor. She then looked down at Mr. L. Memories of her past surged forward, along with new hope and strength. With a loud cry, she tackled Dimentio to the ground, catching him off guard. The gun fell from his hand and skidded across the floor, but she didn't care whether he had it or not. All she could see was red as she fiercely fought him. Kicks flew, punches were thrown, but neither of them seemed to get hurt. Vanessa wrestled him to the ground again and continued to fight. Everyone else stared in shock at the scene in front of them. Vanessa began to fell dizzy, and it wasn't from the blood she lost earlier. "Vanessa! Vanessa calm down! It was all part of the prank! Mr. L's not dead! No one is! I just thought I'd add something in at the end neither of you two knew about to make it seem more real! It's just a part of the prank!" Dimentio yelled at her. She began to sway slightly as her grip loosened greatly. "Just..part of...the prank..." she mumbled before falling forward. Her head landed on Dimentio's chest, and she lay there, unconscious. Dimentio pushed Vanessa off of him and examined her face, which had paled. He noticed a dark green liquid dripping from the corner of her mouth. He wiped it away and casted a simple spell to find out what it was. He gasped. The broken chandelier and dead bodies desolved into mist. "Go wake up the others! They're passed out in the library! And hurry! This _isn't_ a prank!" Dimentio ordered them. "What's happened?!" Timpani cried, rushing to Vanessa's side while the others ran to the library. Dimentio looked up at Timpani, who was on the verge of tears. "She's been poisoned. Someone really did try to kill her tonight."

* * *

Not to long after Mario, Luigi, and Blumiere had woken up the others, Vanessa was carried to her bedroom. Saffron and Dyliss had left not too long after waking up. Dimentio, by casting several spells and making a couple potions, quickly cured Vanessa. But she was still stuck in bed with a fever. A few nights later, Timpani walked in to see if she needed anything. "No thank-you, I'm fine." Vanessa told her. "Although," she began as Timpani started to leave. Timpani looked over her shoulder. "Yes, Vanessa?" she asked. "Could you, um... tell me about how you and Blumiere met, and how all that went?" Vanessa asked. Timpani chuckled and pulled the chair from the vanity up close to Vanessa's bed. "Of coarse, Vanessa. I'd love to tell you." Lady Timpani took a deep breath and began, "It all started one day many years ago, when I was only a teenager. I shouldn't have been walking through the woods, but I was nevertheless." Vanessa sat up an listened carefully to Timpani as she recounted the tale of her and Blumiere, and their 'star-crossed lovers' relationship.

* * *

As Timpani told Vanessa the story of her past, Dimentio was walking down the hall to his room. Once he was inside his room, he shut the door behind him and laid back on his bed. He lay there with a pounding headache, which he had no idea how he had gotten. Footsteps nearing his door stole his attention. He heard two voices, and strained to hear what they were saying. "Are you sure?" the jester heard the voice of Blumiere ask. "Absolutely. I've never been so sure of anything like this." the voice of Mr. L replied. "Well, we should ask him, just to be sure. You could be wrong in you assumptions." Blumiere told the mechanic. "You do realize that just because my door is shut, it does not mean I cannot hear you, don't you?" the jester called out. He heard the footsteps stop abruptly. Then there was a knock on his door, followed by, "Hey, Dimentio, can we come in? It's just Blumiere and me." Dimentio rolled his eyes. He didn't want to be around anyone right now, but their conversation had piqued his interest. He reluctantly replied, "Yes, you may come in." Mr. L and Blumiere walked into Dimentio's room, and closed the door. Both men, serious-faced, walked up to Dimentio's bed. The masked man sat up and waited for them to speak. Blumiere cleared his throat and began, "Well, Dimentio, Mr. L believes he saw a... um... a spark- between you and Vanessa." Dimentio raised an eyebrow. "What?" he asked. Blumiere was about to say something, but Mr. L stepped in. "Look; when the chandelier fell, everyone ran for cover. When I lifted up my head, I saw you walking towards Vanessa. I also saw you help her up, and I saw when she fell foreward into _your _arms and stared into _your _eyes. And when that happened, I saw a spark. I know I did! And I know you and Vanessa felt it. I could see it on both of your faces. But you won't admit it." the man-in-green explained. Dimentio shook his head. "Mr. L, there was no _spark. _There wasn't one, there isn't one, and there never will be one between Vanessa and I. End of conversation." the jester declared. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a terrible headache and I would prefer to take a nap over talking about something stupid." Now Mr. L shook his head. "Ya know, Dim, Denial isn't just a river in the French dimension." he told him. Dimentio rolled his eyes and scoffed. "It's not, you imbecile. It's _the Nile _in the _Egyptian _dimension. Now get out of here." Dimentio corrected. He then turned his back to the two and laid down. Mr. L and Blumiere walked out of Dimentio's room, then walked a little farther down the hall before continuing their conversation. "He's in denial, I can tell." said Mr. L. "Are you certain? Perhaps Dimentio is telling the truth and there is nothing between him and Vanessa." Blumire speculated. "_Nothing between them?_ You should've seen the look on his face -er, mask- when we saw Vanessa in that dress. It was more than obvious that he thought she was gorgeous. He even admitted it!" Mr. L told him. Blumiere seemed quite surprised at this revelation. "He called Miss Vanessa gorgeous?" the blue-skinned man inquired. The green-and-black clad man next to him nodded. "And beautiful, and amazing." he added. "Well then, maybe you're right. Perhaps I should speak to Timpani about it. Maybe then she can ask Vanessa some questions and allow us to see her point of view on this whole situation."

* * *

"So, what happened next?" Vanessa asked, sipping on the hot chocolate Timpani had given her. "Well, as he walked up, I noticed his hands were behind his back. When he got closer, he held out his hand. In it was a beautiful bouquet of roses. But not just any roses. They were the colors of the sunset. Blumiere knew how much I loved the sunset, and how much I loved roses." Timpani told her. "Aww, that's so romantic." the purple-haired young woman cooed. "It reminds me of... No, never mind. Please, continue." she said. Timpani raised an eyebrow. "Reminds you of what?" she asked. Vanessa chuckled nervously. "I, uh, had this friend. He was so sweet. He always listened to me and helped me when I needed it. He never ceased to be just- well, amazing and there for me." Timpani smiled. "A friend, hmm? Are you sure he was just a friend?" Vanessa's face reddened. "Well, uh..." Vanessa would've said something, but she was cut off by a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Lady Timpani asked. "It's me and the count. Can we come in?" Mr. L asked. Timpani turned to face Vanessa, who simply nodded. "You may," the blonde-haired woman replied. Mr. L and Blumire entered the room, then politely asked if Vanessa was feeling better, and if so, could they speak with her in private. Vanessa agreed, and Timpani left. Vanessa again sipped on her hot chocolate as Lord Blumiere and Mr. L -mostly Mr. L- told her about how Mr. L was sure he had seen a spark between her and Dimentio. "Look, I swear, I saw a spark between you two. You can't _possibly _tell me you didn't feel a spark!" Mr. L told her. Vanessa, just like Dimentio, shook her head. "Mr. L, there wasn't a spark." she said, chuckling. "Look, you were disoriented, and so was everyone else. You could've seen a monster or something for goodness sakes. But you did not see a spark between me and Dimentio." Vanessa verified. But even as she said it, she felt some doubt, as well as her cheeks growing warm. "See?! You're blushing! I'm totally right!" Mr. L claimed triumphantly. "Look, L, I'm sick; a perfect explanation for my face. And Timpani said I should get some more rest. I'm sorry if I just disproved your theory and all, but I've gotta sleep." Vanessa yawned. "See ya." she said as she drifted off. "We'll hopefully see you at dinner, Vanessa. If there's anything you need, don't hesitate to ask any of us. Rest well." And with those last words said by Blumiere, the two men left Vanessa's room and headed downstairs.

* * *

The next night, Vanessa didn't seem to have a fever anymore, and she hadn't thrown up since early that morning. So, Timpani decided Vanessa was well enough to leave her room and eat with the rest of the residents of Castle Bleck. She walked downstairs and into the dining room. "Good evening, everyone." she politely greeted them. She sat down and everyone began making light conversation. Out of the corner of her eye, Vanessa saw Mr. L lean towards Dimentio and whisper something in his ear. Whatever the mechanic said obviously made the jester mad. "There is not, Mr. L, now stop talking about it." Dimentio said. "Yes, there is. Stop denying it." Mr. L replied. "If I may," Vanessa stepped in, "What is being denied?" Mr. L turned to Vanessa. "The spark between you two." he answered simply. Nastasia, Mimi, O'Chunks, and Timpani gasped, and began whispering back and forth. Vanessa and Dimentio stood up at the same time, and even shouted at Mr. L at the same time. Vanessa yelled, "You told him?!" While Dimentio yelled, "You told her?!" Mr. L shrank back. "Uh, sorry?" Before either Vanessa or Dimentio could do anything to the masked mechanic, Blumiere intervened. "It was not only Mr. L who told either of you; I was there with him, and you both know this. Let's not settle this matter with violence." he told them. "I have something important to tell you all anyways. We're all going on a trip." At this, Mimi perked up. "Ooooh, whe're we going?!" she asked excitedly. Everyone sat down down and went silent as Blumiere cleared his throat. "Ok, as you all know, I am from the Tribe of Darkness, opposing tribe to the Tribe of Light, or Tribe of Ancients, as some call it. Whatever rift there use to be between the two tribes has been somewhat healed. The two tribes are no longer at each other's throats. Both tribes are even traveling to each other's land." Vanessa's suspicion rose. She feared what she suspected would come next. Her suspicions were confirmed when Blumiere continued, "So, we will be traveling to the kingdom of the Tribe of Light tomorrow. I want everyone up, ready, and supplied with whatever they need by 10:00 O'clock in the morning." Everyone high-fived and shouted happily, except for Vanessa. With those last words said, she rushed to the nearest downstairs bathroom and threw up.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry about that cliffhanger in the last chapter, but I couldn't help it! I just had to! Anyways, in the next chapter the gang will be traveling to the kingdom of the Tribe of Light! Sorry, but now this story is officially on hiatus just like the others (not yet including "The Tale of Krystal Pines") for a little over a month or so. But on the bright side, I should have enough of my stories done on my desktop to update a little more often! Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!**

**~Ciao!**


	6. Pinned Ya!

**A/N: I'm back from the hiatus! Well, kinda. My schedule for updating will be a strict "whenever I can" schedule. Sometimes, it might suck, but I'm working hard as is. Anyways, I know I said that they'd be going to the Kingdom of the Light Tribe in this chapter, but that didn't happen. That's going to be happening in the next chapter. I'll explain the rest at the bottom. You just go ahead and read this chapter! But be warned, there is friendly fluff ahead! Yes, be afraid! Be very afraid!...Just kidding!...Or am I?**

* * *

The very next morning, Timpani and Blumiere told everyone that they would have to wait a couple of days before leaving because of Vanessa throwing up. The purple-haired woman insisted she was fine, but Timpani wasn't going to take any chances of Vanessa getting any sicker, or getting anyone sick. So Vanessa had to remain in her room for the next forty-eight hours. Someone would come in to check on her every now and then to see if she needed anything, then leave. Vanessa just sat there, hour after hour, bored out of her mind as she waited for Timpani to finally decide she was well enough to travel. Finally, it was time for dinner in the castle. "Dimentio, would you please take Vanessa's plate up to her room and keep and eye on her while she eats? You know, just to make sure she doesn't throw up again." Timpani asked. "Sure," he replied. The jester then grabbed his plate and Vanessa's and headed upstairs. Behind him, he could hear whispers. No doubt those of Mimi and Mr. L, who seem quite bent on making a spectacle of the "spark" between the jester and the purple-haired female. Dimentio only rolled his eyes and continued down the hallway. As he neared Vanessa's room, he noticed that the door was slightly ajar. Peeking inside, he saw the woman sitting on her bed. She had her knees brought up to her chest, and her arms wrapped around her legs as she stared blankly at the wall, rocking back and forth and muttering incoherently. Tears trailed down her cheeks, washing away a streak of makeup on her face that Dimentio didn't even know she wore. Using his magic to levitate the plates, he then knocked on her door before he entered. Vanessa whipped her head around to face Dimentio. "Good evening, Dimentio." Vanessa said. "Hey Vanessa. Are you ok?" he asked. Vanessa stared at him blankly for a moment. Dimentio could tell she was in some kind of mental debate, as if she were deciding to brush off the question or give him an honest answer. Finally she sighed and shook her head. "No, I'm not ok." she said quietly. "Well, maybe eating something will help." he suggested. Vanessa nodded, and both of them ate in silence. About thirty-five minutes later, Vanessa had finished her food. She would've finished eating in half the time, maybe even less. But Timpani and the others had insisted she eat slowly so that she wouldn't upset her stomach. "Thanks for bringing up my dinner, Dimentio." Vanessa told him. "You're welcome," he replied as he took her plate. He snapped his fingers and the dishes were warped to the sink downstairs. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Vanessa looked up at Dimentio questioningly. "Timpani told me to stay up here a little longer to make sure you don't throw up." Dimentio informed Vanessa. "I figured. She thinks I'm still sick." Dimentio raised an eyebrow at the statement. "But you are still sick. You threw up in the middle of dinner the night before last." Vanessa lowered her head as the memory played back. "I didn't vomit because I was sick, Dimentio." she said, her voice getting quieter with each word. "It was because I was... scared..." she finished in a whisper. "_You? Scared?_ Vanessa, even _I _don't scare you. You said so yourself. And if that's true, then what in the multiverse could make you so scared that the mere thought could make you vomit?" the jester questioned incredulously. "Something you couldn't possibly understand." she answered. Vanessa then began shaking. Was it from fear? No. She was sobbing. Quietly sobbing. Dimentio got up out of the chair and sat next to Vanessa on her bed. He didn't know a lot about comforting people, but he took a leap of faith and wrapped his arms around her frame and pulled her close.

* * *

The residents of Castle Bleck, minus Vanessa and Dimentio, were sitting at the grand dining table making conversation. "I wonder what's taking Dimentio so long to get back down here. He warped his and Vanessa's plates to the sink fifteen minutes ago." Timpani wondered aloud. "Maybe he's upstairs making out with his girlfriend." Mr. L said. Nastasia slapped Mr. L on the back of the head. "Yeah, um, we've already told you to stop saying there's a spark between those two, so shut up about it, k?" the secretary said sternly. "Well, I'm sorry if I'm finally right for once." the mechanic replied sarcastically. "Maybe she's started throwing up again." Timpani said a bit worriedly. "I'll run up there and go check. I'll come back down to get you guys if there's any trouble. L-ater!" Mr. L jumped out of his chair and headed upstairs and down the winding corridors to Vanessa's room. As he neared the hallway her room was on, he slowed to a walk. He started tip-toeing to the woman's room. He then noticed the door was slightly open. He peaked in and stopped cold. He quickly but quietly turned around and hurried back downstairs. As soon as he was far enough away from Vanessa's room, he broke out into a run. He nearly fell down the stairs, and was doubled over gasping for air once he got back to the dining room. "Mr. L, is something wrong?" Timpani asked. "Gotta...follow me...Gotta...see...what's...happening...It's...unbelieveable!" he said in between breaths. As soon as he caught his breath, he beckoned for them to follow him upstairs. As soon as they got near the hall where Vanessa's room was, Mr. L motioned for them to stop. He then tip-toed forward to Vanessa's door. He turned to them and placed a finger over his lips. With his free hand, he motioned for them to come. The five walked quietly to the woman's door and peeked inside. What they saw surprised them. Vanessa was crying and sitting in Dimentio's lap with her hands resting on his shoulders and her head resting on his chest. Dimentio had one hand around Vanessa's waist and the other calmly stroking her hair as he whispered in her ear. Everyone's jaw dropped at the seemingly impossible and extremely unbelievable sight. They all knew Dimentio wasn't one to heal pain, but cause it. Not only that, but he'd make it worse! They all watched as the scene continued to unfold before their eyes.

* * *

After many minutes of comforting the woman, Dimentio finally pulled back from the warm embrace and looked Vanessa in her red, watery eyes. "Vanessa, whatever it is that is scaring you so badly that you lose your dinner, you can't keep letting something like that scare you. You can't let you past rule your life, whether it be in the present or the future. You need to either forget about what is scaring you, or face your fear." he told her. Vanessa slid out of Dimentio's lap and to the front end of her bed to grab a tissue from the box on her nightstand and wipe her eyes. "Y-your ri-right, D-dimentio," she managed to stutter out, her voice sounding hollow despite it being a whisper. Finally composing herself, she turned back to Dimentio. That was when he saw it. Her tears has carved trails in the makeup on her face, showing something along the top of her right cheek. "Where did you get that scare?" Dimentio asked her. Vanessa stopped cold and reached up to touch her right cheek. Her fingers traced the scar from the top of her cheek, not too far from the bottom of her right eye, to about an inch above the right corner of her mouth. She could practically feel the pain from when she first got it as the memory ran through her mind. She cast her glance to the side, avoiding Dimentio's gaze. "I don't like talking about my past." she said. "Well, aren't you a hypocrite?" he asked, a slight playfulness to his tone. Vanessa looked at him with a frown, one eyebrow raised, and a slightly warning look in her radioactive eyes. "Excuse me?" she asked, a slight edge creeping into her voice. "Well, for someone who doesn't like talking about their past, you sure do live in it." he answered with a slight smirk. Vanessa threw a challenging smirk to him. "Well, at least I don't look like a retarded clown." she whispered with mock-sincerity. Dimentio's face -or rather, _mask_, went completely blank. "_What did you just say?_" he whispered, his voice flat and void of any emotion. "You heard me, _Dimmy._" Vanessa replied, punching him playfully on the shoulder as she said his nickname. Dimentio smirked, an air surrounding him that was both evil and playful. "What'cha gonna do? Hmm?" she asked. "What are you gonna do, Clown Boy?" A flurry of purple, yellow, and black swam before Vanessa's eyes before she felt a force push her. Before she knew it, the purple-haired woman was lying flat on her back with her arms held down on either side; she was pinned down to her bed. "Now what are _you _going to do?" Dimentio asked. Vanessa allowed herself to look scared for a moment until the jester's grip loosened. She then took the advantage he had unwittingly given her and knocked him off of her. She then pinned him to the floor. "The _Damsel-in-Destress _act; works every time!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "I guess brains does beat brawn." Dimentio replied in a defeated tone. Vanessa, feeling she had won, now loosened her grip. "Too bad for you, I have both!" Dimentio finished. Then Vanessa was on her back again. The jester had flipped her and pinned her down again! "Alright, I get it." Vanessa said, "You're smart and strong." Then Vanessa pushed Dimentio's chest with her feet and flipped them both, and pinned him down again. "But that doesn't always win. Sometimes it more about leverage than strength." Dimentio disappeared from beneath Vanessa, leaving the woman confused. She stood up and looked around before she was pushed, and pinned to the wall. "That's true my dear. But some people don't know how to correctly use either. Like you," Dimentio said. "If that's true, then how did I pin you twice? Riddle me that, Mr. Know It All." Vanessa replied. "Sure, you pinned me twice. But I've pinned you three times. And I'd like to point out that, despite popular belief, I don't know everything." the jester informed her. "Well, I think you're smart, if not a genius." Vanessa replied. She then stood there, and inched forward ever so slightly. Vanessa reached out, since only her shoulders were pinned against the wall, and grabbed his arms, pulling him a little closer. She then leaned forward and laid her head on his shoulder, as if she was making an attempt to hug him, despite being pinned against the wall. The jester could feel his cheeks heating up, and knew that behind his mask, his face was red. "And though you are so smart," she began, whispering. "You are so gullible." she finished, now turning them around and pinning him to the wall. "Now, we're tied, 3 to 3." Vanessa told him. They then continued in a non-stop pinning war, each person trying hard to win. Dimentio found it quite surprising how deceitful and underhanded she was, as well as how many tricks she was able to pull on him. But he pulled an equal amount of tricks on her to even to odds. They laughed as they continued to fight.

* * *

"See? What did I tell you? There's a spark between those two, and they know it." Mr. L claimed as they watched Vanessa lean forward and whisper something to Dimentio. Mr. L was disappointed as his theory was once again proved wrong when Vanessa revealed it had been a trick and pinned Dimentio for the third time. The six residents of the castle went back downstairs. Nastasia had to drag Mr. L along so that he'd stop trying to find evidence that there was a spark between Dimentio and Vanessa. "I'm telling you guys; there is a spark!" Mr. L told the others as they sat back down at the dining table. "I'll be honest," Timpani said, taking her seat next to Blumiere. "Mr. L may be on to something. Dimentio has never comforted a soul in this castle, and probably in his entire life. And I have seen him steal a glance at Vanessa once, and there was something different about him. The look in his eyes wasn't emotionless, nor was it hateful or spiteful at all. I saw what could've possibly been.. dare I even say it..._love._ As insane as it sounds, it does make sense to a certain degree, does it not?" Timpani revealed. Mr. L jumped up. "I was right! Haha!" he proclaimed proudly. "Look, I don't mean to sound like a jerk, k? But Dimentio tried to destroy all worlds, recreate them, rule them, and kill Lord Blumiere." Nastasia pointed out, "He's a heartless, soulless, psychopathic, freak show. He can't love Vanessa. He can't feel love. It's impossible!" All eyes now feel on the pink-haired secretary and silence fell over all of them. "That's hardly a nice thing to say, don't you think Nasatsia?" Dimento asked, now walking in the room. "Allow me to correct you." the jester began as he took a seat at the opposite end of the table so that he could face all of them at once. "I do, in fact, have a heart and a soul. It's debatable whether I'm a psycho or a freak show. But I can tell you that while I do have a heart and soul, I am not _in love _with Vanessa whatsoever. So that little debate is over now." the jester informed them. He then snapped his fingers and disappeared. Mr. L shook his head. "Yep, it's worse than I thought. There isn't a spark between them." Mr. L said. Everyone else rolled their eyes, but breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the debate about the spark was over. "There's a full on flame!" Mr. L exclaimed. Everyone now groaned unhappily, knowing that now Mr. L would be running around the castle trying to prove his theory ten times harder.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! Longest chapter so far! Ok, so when I got to the part where they all started to spy on Dimentio and Vanessa, a bit of Writer's Block hit me, so I stopped working on the chapter for a few days as I thought about how to transition from what was happening, to the next scene because I had a couple of ideas for the chapter already planned out. When I got back to writing on it, I finished it the same night. Now, for those of you who have seen "The Lion King" you might start thinking about the scene where Simba and Nala were pinning each other when you read over the scene where Dim and Vanessa get into a pinning war. I did not steal the idea from the movie, but when I was writing the scene I noticed the similarities. But as I thought about the scene in my story and that scene in the movie, it inspired the title for the chapter. Anyways, I do hope you all are enjoying the story. Prologue and all, I'm estimating it's going to be 12 or 13 chapters long. But then again, I didn't expect this little pinning war scene to appear, and the trip to the Light Tribe Kingdom, as well as what goes on there may have to be dragged out into two chapters. Plus, I have a few extra things I want to put in that are swimming in the back of my mind. In conclusion to this long author's note: ~Ciao!**


	7. Costume Change

It was the morning the residents of Castle Bleck had had been anticipating; the morning they left to go visit the kingdom of the Tribe of Light. It was the moment everyone except two people had anticipated, those two people being Dimentio and Vanessa. Dimentio was pretty disinterested at first, but now he was just worried for Vanessa, who seemed to be dreading the moment. He was the only one who could tell, though, as she was quite well at hiding her emotions. But he could read emotions easier than others. He thought she might tell them all to leave and go without her, but she didn't. Instead, she did something else. Something that greatly surprised the other residents of the castle.

* * *

Vanessa stood in front of her vanity, studying her appearance in the large mirror once more before she went downstairs; shoulder-length hair, golden as honey, a porcelain-like complexion, bubblegum-pink lipstick and nail polish, and a sleeveless, knee-length hot pink dress with a white ribbon wrapped around it that was tied in a small bow on the back. She wore white 3-inch wedges on her feet, a pair of silver hoops in her ears, and a silver necklace with a simple pink jewel on it. Aside from the lipstick and the foundation, which made her skin paler and hid her scar, she also wore mascara and a thin layer of pink eye shadow, which shimmered slightly. She dabbed a few freckles on her cheeks and a little blush before deciding her look was perfect; she could pass for a 22-year-old. Nodding to herself, happy with her handy-work, Vanessa grabbed a pink purse that went along with her outfit, grabbed her suitcase, and left her room. She could hear voices as she neared the dining room, but they were partly drowned out by the _click_ of her heels as she walked down the stairs. When she walked through the doorway however, the _click _was all she heard until she stopped walking. Everyone stared at her, mouths wide in shock. Suddenly, O'Chunks came barreling towards her. He grabbed her by the front of her dress and hoisted her in the air. "Who'er ya?! What do ya think yer doin' invadin' this castle?!" the warrior demanded. "Chunky, it's me-" But Vanessa was cut off as the warrior cried out in pain, and dropped the disguised woman to the ground, a purple-and-yellow blur flying in front of her eyes before she landed softly in someone's arms. Dimentio held Vanessa closely- almost possessively. Meanwhile, the woman was clutching the back of his shirt, afraid the warrior would come after her once more. "Dimentio- what was that fer?!" he yelled, holding up his slightly burned hand. Dimentio felt his grip on Vanessa tighten in a protective manner. "_Because _no one _attacks Vanessa- not on my watch._" Dimentio wanted to say. But instead, he said, "Because you just attacked Vanessa for no good reason." The warrior only growled. "And just 'ow do ya know that lass there is Vanessa?" O'Chunks asked, anger still apparent in his tone. "_Because I'd recognize those beautiful eyes anywhere._" he thought, gazing down at Vanessa, who laid in his arms, staring back up at him. "Because," he said, "I know the difference between any random stranger and Vanessa. Plus- who else would have her suitcase?" Deciding it was safe to put Vanessa down, the jester did so. Vanessa struggled to stand, as she hadn't completely healed from her leg injury that she got during the whole 'murder mystery prank' epidemic. Having fought with Dimentio the other night in a pinning war, tripping down the stairs the previous morning, and the fact she was wearing heels certainly didn't help. She wobbled on her feet slightly, then lost her balance, falling back and bracing for impact. But instead of hitting the cold, hard floor, she landed in warm, waiting arms, her back pressed against someone's chest. The arms adjusted themselves around her and picked her up. Vanessa looked up to see that it was Dimentio who was holding her bridal-style again. "We may have to replace the flooring with pillows or matrasses if you're going to keep falling." Dimentio commented jokingly. "Nah. I'll just make you carry me every time. It'll be my prize for beating you the night before last." Vanessa proclaimed. "A competition I let you win." Dimentio pointed out. "Are you two going to stop flirting any time soon? Because we have to go." Mr. L told them. A blush dusted Vanessa's cheeks, showing up through her makeup. A similar redness appeared behind Dimentio's mask. "I'm not flirting!" both of them claimed at the same time. "See? You two are talking at the same time!" Mr. L exclaimed triumphantly, striding over to the jester and the disguised woman. He draped an arm around their shoulders and moved them closer. "Before ya know it, you two will be tyin' the knot!" the mechanic proudly stated, his smile widening. "In fact, you two should just admit you love each other, kiss, and get it over with!" Vanessa and Dimentio both shook their heads. "I do believe we _already _stated that there is no spark between Vanessa and I," Dimentio said. "Yeah. Dim and I just don't like each other like that." Vanessa explained. "Well, could you please tell us all why you're dressed up like that?" Lord Blumiere asked. Vanessa fidgeted slightly, not wanted to address the subject very much. "Let's just say: the less people that know who I am, the better. And if anyone asks- I'm Lady Timpani's younger cousin, Topaz." she explained. Everyone now looked genuinely confused. "Look, I'd rather not breach the subject any further. But, given O'Chunk's reaction, I'd say the disguise is perfect." O'Chunks scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry 'bout that, lass." he apologized. "No problem," Vanessa dismissed. "Oh, and Dimentio?" Timpani spoke up. "Hmm?" the jester replied absentmindedly. "You need to change into different clothes." Dimentio's head snapped up. "What?" he asked. Vanessa looked the jester up and down as best she could, though she had already come to her conclusion. "Timpani's right; you can't go to the kingdom of the Light Tribe looking like that. You have to change clothes." she told him. "Excuse me?" Dimentio asked. "Go change clothes," she repeated. "No," he replied. This time it was Vanessa's turn to wonder if she had heard correctly. "Come again?" she asked. "No." the jester repeated with a steelier tone. Vanessa's expression hardened. "Go change." she told him once more. "No." he denied again. "Go change your clothes right now." she ordered. "If I leave to go to my room and change clothes, I'm taking you with me." Dimentio stated, hoping that comment would throw her off. It didn't in the least, though. "You're bluffing. Now go change into some 'normal people clothes'." Vanessa replied. "Make me." Dimentio challenged, his response sounding slightly childish. Vanessa smirked and leaned closer, her lips close to his ear. "That could be arranged," she replied coolly. That threw Dimentio off, so he decided to redirect the conversation slightly. "And what if I don't change?" he asked. "You change or you aren't going with twenty feet of the kingdom." Vanessa answered. "Then I won't go," Dimentio said. Hurt, sadness, then anger flashed through Vanessa's eyes. She then put on a bored, slightly emotionless visage once more and shrugged. "Alright. Don't come with us, then." she said. Vanessa then slid out of his arms and wrapped her hand tightly around the handle of her suitcase. "Alright, is everyone ready to visit the kingdom?" Timpani asked enthusiastically. Everyone but Dimentio nodded. "Then let's go!" Everyone began walking out the large double doors of the castle, all eager to see the amazing kingdom. Vanessa was the last to walk out. As she did, she looked back at the jester, who floated in the middle of the foyer, watching them leave. Vanessa waved her hand and mouthed good-bye, trying her best to fake the 'I'm heart-broken but I'm trying not to show it' look, biting her lip softly as she felt her eyes grow watery. Dimentio waved back, his eyes locked on her until the doors shut. The jester sighed. He definately wouldn't stoop so low as to let another person (especially not a female) tell him what to do and how to dress...But then again it was just for a few days, and Vanessa would need someone by her side while she was on a trip she had dreaded since she had been told they were going there. Dimentio sighed once more and teleported to his room. He began searching through his closet, knowing he wasn't going to like this trip at all.

* * *

The group walked down the dark path, moving further away from the dark castle they came out of. Vanessa glanced back, catching sight of her bedroom balcony. She turned back around just in time to keep herself from bumping into Mimi, who, along with the others, had suddenly stopped. They all watched as Blumiere stepped forewards and raised his hands to the sky, the left hand gripping his jewel-topped cane. A large set of golden French-style double doors materialized out of thin air. Vanessa stared foreward at the doors, fear swirling deep in the pit of her stomach. She swallowed hard as she followed behind the others, who walked straight through the golden doors, into an inky black void. She soon found herself just inches away from the void that would transport her away from here and to the kingdom. Taking a deep breath, Vanessa stepped through the doors and into nothingness. She closed her eyes, knowing that all that surrounded her was an endless black expanse filled with nothing but cold air. Not until she felt warmth of the sun's rays as its light hit her, did she open her eyes. The first thing she saw before her was a beautiful path, paved with white stone, and lined with gold. Her eyes wandered down the path to find a large golden gate bearing the insignia of the Tribe of Light- a large, golden sun. The rays of the real sun bounced off the metal of the fake one. Continuing from the gate, going all the way around the castle, was a large, thick, white wall of stone. It was lined around the top and bottom with gold, reminiscent of the walkway that led to the gate. Vanessa studied the large palace; it was of the same color scheme as the wall and path, with the exception of flags and banners, which bore various bright and pastel shades of red, purple, pink, blue, and orange. It was an extrordinary castle, the crown jewel of the dimension, and of many others. Some might even say it was the most beautiful sight one could ever see- heavenly even. "_But looks can be quite deceiving,_" Vanessa thought, dread pooling within her. Nevertheless, she followed the others as they walked through the gate, and towards the palace. As she stood before the palace doors, she felt and immense amount of nervousness wash over her. She tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths, and distract her worrying mind by studying the elaborate carvings on the doors. Her breaths became deeper and slightly quicker, but still quiet enough that no one could hear her unless they stood right next to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she flinched, her breath hitched, and she went still. She felt warm breath next to her ear and she was so afraid she'd been found out. She knew it was her; she knew it was that evil woman. She was standing right behind her, about to announce her presence and arrest her. All these thoughts swirled around Vanessa's mind within only a few seconds. Her thoughts were finally halted when the person spoke into her ear; "Nervous aren't we?" a male voice whispered softly, but comfortingly. Vanessa whipped around, unable to stop herself as she blurted out, "Dimentio?!"

* * *

**A/N: Yay, new chapter! Hope Y'all like it. I'm gonna be working much harder to write this, b****ut no more chapters will be posted 'til this story gets a little love. There are no reviews, and there are hardly any favorites or followers. Anyways, Ciao!**


	8. Another Author's Note- Rewrite

To whom it may concern,

I apologize for making you wait so long for another chapter, but I'm taking this story down. IT needs some major rewrites and I would rather take it down and repost it once I've fixed all the mistakes rather than leave it sitting here. I do hope those of you who read it actually enjoy it and look forward to the rewrite which should be up within a year's time. I thank you all for reading this. I'll have this note up for another week before taking the story down.

Sincerely, MysteryWriter36


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